


Requiem

by tromana



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Character Death, F/M, Future Fic, Murder, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 15:52:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tromana/pseuds/tromana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Falling in love is possibly the worst thing they could have done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Requiem

**Author's Note:**

> For kathiann.

She crawled up the bed to capture his lips with her own. Jane hummed at the contact and immediately, his hands began to rake up and down her bare back. Pale sunlight filtered through the gaps in her curtains, illuminating her skin. As far as Teresa Lisbon was concerned, it didn't matter. After all, Patrick Jane seemed to be enjoying the view and that was the main thing. There had been a time when she had only lived for her job. She still did, in some respect, but now she also lived for him. There was nothing more that she wanted than to make him happy. God knew that he deserved it, after all he'd been through.

And she probably did too, but Lisbon wasn't one to think about things like this.

They were playing a dangerous game, really. It was still obvious that Red John believed Jane to be his man and nobody else's. He'd chosen him as a nemesis and a rival. He almost wanted to adopt him as a friend, as bizarre as that sounded. Deep down, Lisbon almost believed that they had a mutual respect for one another. It was clear that they kept the other on their toes; they had been dancing around each other for far too long now. In reality, Red John should have been behind bars years ago and it was only his sheer intelligence and ingenuity that had kept him free.

But now, they had started something more. Just like Red John and Jane, Lisbon had found herself dancing around Jane too. Almost since Jane had started working for her unit, she had been able to acknowledge that she was at least somewhat attracted to him. And then, she had promptly ignored it, boxed it away for future reference. Jane was damaged and broken; he wasn't capable of loving another individual.

Until he apparently was, of course.

The sudden change of demeanor had taken Lisbon completely off-guard. A few slipped words had plagued on her mind. He had suddenly become more attentive, more possessive and more jealous if she ever dared to pay attention to another man. He acted as if she belonged to him and nobody else. And then, in the blink of an eye, he had suddenly started kissing her and she had responded more eagerly than she had ever anticipated. Now, they found themselves in their current situation. They had to act as if they were naughty schoolchildren, caught in an illicit act and trying to hide it from their parents. They were spinning themselves a web of lies and deceit. The worst part of it all, in Lisbon's opinion at the very least, was that it was over something that was theoretically good and beautiful. There shouldn't have been any need for them to lie.

Except for the simple fact that there was a need for them to lie about it, because, lying was all that was currently saving their lives.

If Red John found out, then neither of them doubted he would take action.

The serial killer couldn't bear to see Jane happy. That much was obvious. He seemed convinced that Jane hadn't learned his lessons, or at the very least, deserved to repay for his past sins by living a life doomed to misery and despair. It didn't matter that he had changed for the better, what mattered was the past.

But she had always known there was a good man hiding within that husk she had been presented with. She had helped him piece himself back together again, and to find that innate goodness that had always been there. And now, he was happier than he had ever been. He was almost whole again, because he would never be able to forget what had happened to his family. But he had at least been able to put the past behind him, where it belonged and move on with his life. He had chosen to move on with her too, and for Lisbon, that meant everything. She knew that she was willing to have him, even if it was only behind closed doors.

"We have work," she mumbled when his hands strayed lower down than she would have ideally liked. "We need to get up."

"But my dear, if I recall correctly," he started and she knew that he was Jane; of course he recalled correctly. "You were the one to wake me up like this. And it's a very nice way to wake up indeed."

Slowly she crawled off of him and he captured her hand to place a kiss on her palm. Shaking her head, Lisbon pulled it away. She hadn't been lying; they didn't really have time for this. However, she hadn't been able to resist his sleeping form. All she had wanted to do was feel close to him for just a few minutes longer, before she had to return to the strict professionalism of work. She deserved that luxury in the space of her own home, didn't she?

He continued to steal kisses from her as they prepared for the daily grind. Any objections that Lisbon made were lame and pitiful, and she knew it. But then, who could blame her for acting in such a way when Patrick Jane was practically worshipping at her altar? As much as he had come to life since their romance had kindled, he had reawakened her too. He had reminded her that she wasn't just a cop, just the senior agent for the CBI's Serious Crimes Unit. She was a woman too, and needed to be loved as much as the next person.

They left for work in separate cars, as usual. Before she locked up her home, their home, really, if she thought about it, he snatched one more kiss on the doorstep. She waved slightly as he disappeared to his car. He always arrived earlier than she did, because the rest of the team always expected him to be there before anybody else arrived. It was a part of their ruse, but Lisbon still hated saying goodbye to him at home. It was torture, seeing him every day at work, but not being able to do what she wanted, when she wanted to him. Sometimes, it would have just been nice to show a small public display of affection. Lisbon understood the necessity to keep everything under wraps, but that didn't mean it was easy.

Little did she know that their subterfuge was all in vain, because that morning, their every move was being watched by the one and only person they _didn't_ want to know about them.

xxx

"I have to go away for a bit."

"Why?"

The question fell from Lisbon's lips before she even had a chance to stop it. In general, she respected Jane's privacy and his need for space. Usually, his flights of fancy only ever took place on special dates relating to his family. She understood that these were things he needed to do on his own and left it at that. Lisbon also knew that, now, he was entirely honest to her when it came to Red John. He had to be, because it was the only thing keeping the both of them safe, and her more so than him. One day, they would apprehend him, and the nightmare of Red John would all be over. Jane had even agreed to give up on his quest of murder, for her.

Jane smiled slightly in response to her question, but he didn't give her a straight answer. Lisbon knew that it wasn't his wedding anniversary, nor the anniversary of his wife and child's deaths, nor was it either of their birthdays. That was why her curiosity was piqued and ultimately, it was why she had asked the question in the first place. He took her hand into his own, kissed her knuckles before squeezing it tightly. She smiled weakly in response.

"It's nothing bad, Teresa, don't worry," he said in a cool and soothing voice. "It won't be for long either; a couple of days at most."

She nodded. She would have to accept his word for it, and the fact that she wasn't going to get an answer out of him.

It didn't stop it from bothering her, though. It never did.

xxx

He didn't return after a couple of days.

It was then that she started worrying.

xxx

After two weeks, she took the investigation into her own hands. He hadn't answered any of her texts and calls, much of which were growing increasingly frantic. It reminded her of the time he had spent those six long months away from her, in a ruse to make Red John believe he had given up. On that occasion, they had managed to arrest Lorelei Martins, but Lisbon could still remember the feelings of hurt and betrayal like it was yesterday. Still, she wasn't about to pass it onto the Missing Persons Unit. They didn't know and understand Jane like she did. They wouldn't have known where to start looking for him. Maybe, if her quests proved to be fruitless, then she would ask for assistance and officially report him as missing. However, she needed to try on her own first.

She felt uncomfortable during the long drive to Malibu. Part of Lisbon felt like she was invading Jane's privacy. If he had believed she needed to know where he was going, then he would have told her. If it was something to do with Red John, then equally, he would have informed her, wouldn't he? She had no reason not to trust him, not anymore. They had long since rebuilt those bridges and their relationship – both professional and private – was stronger than ever. However, that little itch at the back of her mind begged to differ. However much of a changed man Jane was, he still had a reputation. He still had a tendency to let little white lies slip through, things that he thought went unnoticed. And she knew him so well that she still knew that deep down, he craved the death of Red John more than anybody else. Lisbon couldn't say that she approved of vengeance, except for legal vengeance, but she could understand the feelings behind it. But then, as far as she was concerned, most people could.

Jane's Malibu home was quiet. None of the lights were on and the curtains were all open despite it being gone midnight. His beloved car, the blue Citroen she loved and hated in equal measures, was parked on the driveway and Lisbon couldn't be sure whether or not that was a good or bad sign in this instance. She hoped that he was just out somewhere, visiting a neighbor on foot or something, but she was an experienced homicide detective. Lisbon knew bad signs when she saw them.

The door was unlocked and slightly ajar. It was then that her heart started to pound so violently that it felt like it was trying to escape from her chest cavity. Lisbon didn't rush her way through the house, instead she treaded slowly and carefully, so quietly that it was like she was trying not to wake the dead. So many ghosts of the past haunted this building, and she couldn't help but wonder what other secrets it held. At face value, nothing seemed to be much different about the place since her last visit. Except, there was a blue teacup placed on the counter in the kitchen. One of Jane's pinstriped jackets was casually tossed aside on the couch. Otherwise, the man himself was nowhere to be seen.

Instinctively, she headed upstairs. Her pace increased as she got closer and closer to the top. There was something different about Jane's master bedroom's door, she could have sworn it. Briefly, Lisbon closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. When she opened them again, she fixated on the door in question. She hadn't been imagining things; there was a note attached to it.

With a sense of foreboding, she pulled it off. She couldn't help but wonder if this was a serious case of déjà vu or…

She opened the note.

_Dear Agent Lisbon,_

_I'm sure I don't need to tell you what is hidden behind this door._

_I do not like it when beautiful women decide to ruin all my plans. It seems now, that Mr. Jane was never going to learn from his mistakes._

_The question is, will you?_


End file.
